Gavar Vegetable Recipes

Cluster beans, also known as guar beans orcyamopsis tetragonolobus, are legumes that are very popular throughout India. They resemble flattened green beans and have an extremely hardy and crunchy texture, and they're usually cooked into a curry.

This version, gawar ki phalli (sometimes called gavar ki sabji) is cooked in sesame paste and curry leaves. It's one of the healthiest Indian dishes you can make because these beans are very low in calories. My husband Lulu's family is from Hyderabad and this bean dish was Lulu's paternal grandma Baji's specialty. Making this dish is quite labor-intensive because the beans need to be stringed and chopped. But the result is definitely worth the effort. Whenever I find very fresh cluster beans at the Indian market (blemish-free, green and relatively tender), I cook them right away as they don't store well in the refrigerator.